First “Centre of Excellence” for Chinese GNSS and LBS technology established outside China
Singapore, 15 October 2015 – In a significant push for the emerging Singapore Space Ecosystem, a “Centre of Excellence” (CoE) for GNSS and LBS technology will be established in Singapore by SpaceTime Technology, supported by the GNSS & Location Based Services (LBS) Association of China (GLAC) and the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB). This is the first “ Centre of Excellence” for Chinese GNSS and LBS technology established outside of China.
The opening announcement was made at CommunicAsia 2015 and witnessed by senior management from the EDB, GLAC, SSTA and ST Electronics. The CoE is planned to be opened by 7 July, and targets to be fully operational by end 2015. The main objective of the CoE is to undertake R&D in new navigation and location based applications and services, with particular focus on the BeiDou temporal and spatial information system. Based on industry demand, the CoE will harness the skills and expertise from GLAC members and research partners, to achieve technical integration and practical application of GNSS technology. The CoE will also integrate advanced and sophisticated technology in areas such as cloud computing, big data, and high performance chips to achieve breakthroughs in the navigation and location domains.
The COE will play a pivotal role in making GNSS and BeiDou part of people’s lives by creating innovative and useful products. The establishment of the CoE will provide a platform for Chinese satellite navigation companies to expand internationally. Singapore’s global hub status in diverse domains such as transportation and trade, coupled with its strengths as being a “smart” and highly urbanized city makes it an ideal location for test bedding satellite navigation and positioning technologies. Based on evaluation results, the precision and performance of the BeiDou satellite system in low latitude regions around Asia is even better than that of the other three global navigation satellite systems, making its Asian expansion activities game-changing.
Mr Beh Kian Teik, Executive Director, Office for Space Technology and Industry (OSTIn), Singapore Economic Development Board says, “EDB welcomes the establishment of the GNSS & LBS Association of China’s (GLAC) CoE in Singapore. There is an increasing regional and global demand for satellite-based navigation and positioning services, namely in areas like urban management and traffic control. We are happy to note that organisations such as GLAC are leveraging on Singapore's position as a business and technology hub to internationalise their businesses and create new products that offer unique solutions to these challenges."
Professor Miao Qianjun, Secretary General, GNSS & LBS Association of China (GLAC) says, “The Singapore CoE is the first established by GLAC overseas, which is an innovative effort for the internationalization of this association, and a milestone in international cooperation. EDB’s support for the research and application of the BeiDou system will benefit related industries and promote Chinese investment in Singapore. GLAC will make all efforts to coordinate resources in technology and production for a successful centre.”
As a testament to the strategic nature of the CoE’s presence, a commercial Memorandum of Understanding between SpaceTime Technology Pte Ltd and ST Electronics (Satcom & Sensor Systems) Pte Ltd will be signed during the event to develop in Singapore an interference resistant BeiDou satellite positioning system for use in smart nations applications. The demand for such interference resistant products will grow as nations in this region start to roll out more location-based applications in an increasingly challenging and dense electro-magnetic environment.
For further information on Spacetime Technology, please visit : www.spacetime-tech.com
About Spacetime
Spacetime Technology Pte Ltd is a leading player in providing cutting-edge satellite technology and industry-leading expertise, we pledge to help our partners and clients build a competitive edge for seamless expansion into the unlimited potential of the satellite business. Being the first of its kind in Singapore, Spacetime Technology is appointed as the Centre of Excellence for GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) and LBS (Location-based Service) technologies and supported by the Economic Development Board (EDB) of Singapore. This Centre of Excellence is supported by GLAC (GNSS & Location Based Services Association of China) which brings about 2,000 best of breed companies & experts from the China’s GNSS and LNS industries for regional clients and partners of Spacetime to leverage upon. One key focus of the centre is concentrated on R&D activities (research and development) in navigation and location-based applications. As an economic driver of satellite technology, Spacetime Technology’s establishment serves as a global hub showcases various industry leading successes which are well proven in various verticals industries counting banking & finance, hospitality, transportation, security, retail and beyond. Please visit www.spacetime-tech.com
About GNSS & LBS Association of China (GLAC)
GNSS & LBS Association of China (GLAC) is a non-profit association specializing in the GNSS and LBS industry. It has approximately 2000 members, including research institutes, universities and enterprises which engage in the R&D, manufacturing and operation of global satellite navigation and location-based technology. In June 2014, under the leadership of GLAC, the GNSS & LBS Alliance of China was created to promote the usage and application of Precision Positioning for BeiDou navigation and location based services. The GLAC possesses solid experience in industrial establishment, advanced professional technology support and authoritative policy advantages; its professional advantage will be fully tapped upon in the establishment of the Spacetime’s Centre of Excellence.
About ST Electronics (Satcom & Sensor Systems)
ST Electronics (Satcom & Sensor Systems) delivers innovative, broadband wireless communication and sensor solutions that enhance connectivity and safety globally. Together with its US related satellite communications company, VT iDirect, the company serves a wide range of industries, covering telecommunications, government and defence, maritime, oil and gas, broadcast and enterprise organisations and is a leading supplier of Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSATs), microwave communications and RF equipment. The company also specialises in the design, development and production of advanced earth observation satellites and is poised to contribute to the future development of satellite and sensor technologies. Through its subsidiary ST Electronics (Satellite Systems) set up in 2011, it offers a comprehensive suite of satellite and earth observation solutions to its customers worldwide. Please visit www.stee.stengg.com.